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Review: The Three Questions by Don Miguel Ruiz & Barbara Emrys

At the heart of The Three Questions is the theme of identity - how to know who you are, how to live true to what you find, and how to continually evolve while staying true to your discovery. This is a book that is meant to shake the foundations of whatever you think you believe in and look at the world with unique eyes - your eyes, free of superstition and limiting beliefs.

WHO WOULD ENJOY IT?

People who enjoyed the bestselling The Four Agreements would like this too, though I think this book does not hold a candle to the searing sentences of the four agreements.

Even if you are not familiar with the author's past work, you can still enjoy this if you admire toltec traditions and love exploring different truths of different cultures.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT

The book itself is simple to read and straight-forward with its messages. There is a bit of repetition, but that does not get too unbearable. There are good passages within that crystallises the essence of the book, but they are few and far in between. All in all, it is a good book, but a bit of a slog to get through.

MEMORABLE PASSAGE

Desire guides our passion and inspiration; inspiration leads to creativity. Desire can also drive us over a cliff—it can lead to obsession. Putting the full power of attention on one object of desire makes us fanatical—meaning we want something so much that we can’t see anything else. This goes way beyond a passion for football or a love for punk rock. Who hasn’t been enthralled by an idea, a philosophy, or a person? In time, nothing else matters. We could be desperately hooked on drugs or alcohol, ignoring countless warnings and offers to help. However we become fixated, we risk losing touch with the ones who love us—and our own power is squandered and misused.

How do we tell whether our desires are inspired or obsessive? Inspiration leads us to create new things and new realities; obsession leads to many types of destruction. When we’re obsessed, we can’t see clearly and we can’t react.